Google threatened tech influencers unless they 'preferred' the Pixel

“When asked, Google communications manager Kayla Geier told The Verge that “#TeamPixel is a distinct program, separate from our press and creator reviews programs. The goal of #TeamPixel is to get Pixel devices into the hands of content creators, not press and tech reviewers. We missed the mark with this new language that appeared in the #TeamPixel form yesterday, and it has been removed.”<p>Those terms certainly caused confusion online, with some assuming such terms apply to all product reviewers. However, that isn’t the case. Google’s official Pixel review program for publications like The Verge requires no such stipulations

The first part of the question is formed so weasely. &quot;You acknowledge that you are expected to...&quot;.<p>Sure, I can acknowledge that GOOG is expecting me to do stuff, but other than me acknowledging the request, it&#x27;s not asking me to fulfill its expectations (yet). Can you acknowledge me saying &quot;Go fuck yourself&quot; to your expectations?<p>Obviously the second part is less weasely...

Google should sell their phone division to MS.

Lol. Google knows they can&#x27;t win in hardware, search or AI anymore. Now you will see more and more evil stuff from the once &quot;do no evil&quot; company abusing its monopoly power.

BLUF:<p>* The program seemed intended for influencers of the non-reviewer and non-press variety.<p>* Nonetheless, a fair number of reviewers were in the program, and the reviewers are the ones who&#x27;ve spoken up about the language.<p>Google&#x27;s statement here in essence implies total blindness to the fact that there were tech reviewers in the program (&quot;#TeamPixel is a distinct program, separate from our press and creator reviews programs. The goal of #TeamPixel is to get Pixel devices into the hands of content creators, not press and tech reviewers. We missed the mark with this new language that appeared in the #TeamPixel form yesterday, and it has been removed.&quot;).<p>^^This all makes it look even worse in my opinion.